Meet Me Halfway
by vampyrtrivial
Summary: Amber walked out of the vault and into things she never expected. After losing her son and the only man she'd ever been with, she can't shake the nightmares long enough to see the beauty in the world right on front of her. A work in progress, input welcome
1. Chapter 1

Amber drug herself through the doors of the Third Rail, her joints stiff and her armour caked in dirt and dried blood, only about half of it her own. Piper followed in behind her, clutching her press cap close to her chest. Amber slumped onto a stool at the bar, dropping her head onto her arms and sighing.

"If you ain't here to order, you can get out. This ain't a hotel, darling." The Mr. Handy behind the bar droned in a thick Cockney accent. Amber sighed again and raised her head slightly.

"Whatever's cheap." She growled, her voice thick with radiation sickness and dust. Piper stood close to the raven haired singer in the corner, mesmerized. Amber couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

Two large men stomped past her into a back room. She had heard that there was a mercenary for hire around here, maybe she could swing a little help with finding the man that took Shaun and killed...Nate. A lump still caught in her throat even thinking his name.

The Mr Handy a bar patron referred to as Charlie slid a drink toward her which she accepted gladly. She downed the burning liquid in one gulp, shook her head and stood, pain still throbbing through her beaten body. Piper was still in awe of the local talent, so Amber tossed a few caps onto the bar to pay for her drink, adjusted her .50 on her back and walked toward the back room.

The two large men she'd seen enter were talking to a shorter, younger guy in a long duster.

"Why don't you take your girlfriend and walk out of here while you still can?" The younger boy said, glaring at them with what she was sure was meant to be menacing, but his slight size compared to the behemoths in front of him didn't quite pull it off. Amber leaned against the door frame and waited.

"Winlock, tell me we don't have to listen to this shit..." one of the men grumbled to his companion.

"Listen up, MacCready. The only reason we haven't filled your body full of bullets is that we don't want a war with Goodneighbor. We respect other people's boundaries. We know how to play the game, something you never learned." The man she now knew as Winlock glowered at MacCready, who, to his credit, didn't seem phased by it in the slightest.

"Glad to have disappointed you." MacCready retorted. Amber stifled a chuckle.

"You can play tough guy all you want, but if we hear you're still operating inside Gunner territory, all bets are off. You got that?" Winlock eyed MacCready, obviously hoping for some response from the boy, but MacCready held his gaze.

"You finished?" MacCready spat.

"Yeah, we're finished. Come on, Barnes." Barnes and Winlock stomped back out to the main floor of the bar. MacCready seemed to wait until they were out of eyesight before slumping onto the couch at the back of the room, letting his head fall onto his hands with a sigh.

Amber walked over to the boy, bending over slightly to peer into his face.

"You okay, kid?" she asked softly. MacCready seemed to just realise she was there because he jumped slightly before leaping to his feet.

"Look lady. If you're preaching about Atom, or looking for a friend, you've got the wrong guy. If you need a hired gun, then maybe we can talk."

Piper entered the room then, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"That Magnolia...man! Hey, who's your new friends, Blue?" Amber reached into the rear pocket of her chest piece and pulled out a small leather pouch.

"Okay, how much?" MacCready eyed the satchel of caps almost hungrily.

"250, non negotiable." He said firmly, holding her hot copper eyes with his own.

"Everything is negotiable. 200 caps." She held the pouch out to him while he held her stare. He took this moment to look her over. Her green brown eyes were large on her face, almost too big. Her nose was small and really round. Her lips were dark, set in what seemed like a permanent pout. The thing he noticed the most was her skin. Pale, soft and somehow still clean, despite the obvious days of dirty and blood. Her long, wavy brown hair was combed and in place under her newsy was too clean for this wasteland.

She wore a long black coat, wrapped tightly around her wide hips where her left hand now rested. Her head was tilted slightly as she awaited his answer, peering at him from over her black rimmed glasses.

"All right. Looks like you hired yourself a gun. Let's head out, boss." He took the satchel of caps from her and jammed it into the pocket of his duster.


	2. Chapter 2

It was early. She was fixing her hair in the mirror while Nate got dressed. He kissed her cheek and told her she was beautiful. She smiled tightly but didn't respond because she knew those weren't her words. Those words weren't meant for her. She'd seen them in the driveway when he thought she was at work. Smiling, her honey blonde hair in tight curls around her face, her porcelain hand laid gently on his forearm. She watched them in the bedroom window, the curtains parted just enough so she could see him grab her small, pink nipples with his mouth while she held fistfuls of his dark red hair.

She watched him lean against the doorway while she comforted their son. The way he stood, so casual and carefree, made her stomach rise into her throat.

"We should go to the park. Weather should hold up." He said in an offhand tone. Before she could respond, Codsworth called from the living room.

Amber awoke with a start. Someone was shaking her from her dream.

"Hey, boss! You all right?" MacCready asked, his dark eyes searching hers, brows furrowed.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Amber wiped the mix of cold sweat and tears from her face with the back of her grimy hand.

"You feeling okay, Blue?" Piper rounded the corner, three mugs in her hands. She handed one to Amber and a second to MacCready before sitting across from Amber.

"Just...a weird dream." Amber muttered into her cup. She pulled a flask from the pocket of her coat. The smell of the Bobrov's moonshine filled the room. She poured the contents into the mug of Nuka cola Piper had handed her. MacCready grabbed the flask from her before she could put it in her pocket and took a large swig.

"That's coming out of your pay." Amber smirked at him. He scoffed and shook his head.

"You guys headed back to Sanctuary today, then?" Piper stood, gathering her coat and pulling her press cap over her dark hair.

"Nah, I was thinking about checking out this radio transmissions from Goodneighbor. That guy that plays the Silver Shroud radio plays all the time?" MacCready sputtered into his mug.

"I love the Silver Shroud!" he all but squealed. His young eyes lit up excitedly. Piper chuckled and shook her head.

"Well all right, Blue. I suppose this is where we part ways." Piper put her hands on Amber's shoulders and squeezed. Amber is reminded of all the nights that her and Piper had vented to each other. Piper about her father, the stresses of reporting and her worries about her sister, Nat. Amber about Nate's cheating and never getting to face it. Piper had been her first friend leaving the vault.

"Be good, Pipes. I don't think you'll survive a second execution." Amber chuckled and planted a quick kiss on Piper's forehead.

"See you soon, Blue. You take care of her, Merc!" Piper threw a rolled up copy of Publick Occurrence at MacCready. He caught it and laughed before closing the door behind them.

"So you and the reporter, huh? You guys make a cute couple." MacCready was looking at the paper in his hands.

"We're not a couple, Mac. She's just my friend. First person I really got to know since all of this started."

"Since you got out of the vault, you mean?" He held the paper up, gesturing at the article Piper had done on her. She nodded slowly, not breaking her stride as they left the gates of Diamond City.

/not going to recap the game premise/

"So...wow. So this whole thing must be insane for you. I can't imagine. I'm real sorry, boss." MacCready said stiffly as they walked into Goodneighbor.

"No worries, kid. Let's get a drink." 


	3. Chapter 3

"No! You were not mayor of a town of children! I don't buy it!" Amber slurred, her accent from her southern upbringing thick on her lips.

"Swear on my life, boss." Mac raised his right hand and crossed his heart. Amber laughed out loud and let her head fall against her arm on the table. Her face was hidden from view by MacCready's hat that she had stolen from him some time during their evening.

They'd been travelling together for more than a month now. She had cleaned up the streets as the Silver Shroud and almost robbed Hancock with Bobbi No-Nose. They'd even taught a gang of super mutants the joys of reading as a favor to Daisy. But this is how their nights usually ended. Drinking themselves to sleep at the Third Rail.

Amber seemed like a decent enough person. He didn't know the whole story, her life before the vault, before the bombs fell. He knew she had been married. She still wore the ring on her left hand. But she didn't talk about him. But MacCready knew all about Shaun.

"I think we need more booze. Charlie! Charlie, I love you. C'mere!" MacCready laughed out loud and shook his head. The Mr. Handy bartender sighed loudly and brought another bottle of whiskey to the table.

"Please tell me you're leaving soon?" Charlie all but pleaded. MacCready chuckled lightly.

"Yeah. Go ahead and take that bottle back." MacCready stood, tossing a handful of caps onto the table. He grabbed Amber by the wrists and hoisted her up to his side. She was lighter than she looked, almost lanky but not quite. Rounded, maybe. His hand rested on the small of her back, just barely brushing her ass with his fingers.

"Thanks, Charlie." MacCready lead Amber toward the stairs slowly, his barely conscious boss leaning heavily against him, slurring and mumbling to him. They reached the bottom of the stairs and MacCready sighed. He bent and pulled Amber into his arms, cradling her against him. She didn't look so small when they were fighting super mutants, or perched on top of a building, sniping ghouls to clear a settlement for that insufferable goody two shoes Garvey.

Amber's head was nestled against his shoulder, her breath hot and thick on his neck. Stop it, right now.

"I don't miss him... I just hate that he didn't know I knew.' Amber mumbled into his ear. He had no idea what she meant, but he agreed anyway.

"Definitely, boss." He said quietly, pushing the door to Rexford open with his foot. Clair was in her usual spot. She started to speak, but MacCready silenced her with a look. He walked up the stairs without a word, walking into the first empty room he found. He laid Amber into the bed slowly, earning little more than an incoherent grumble.

MacCready walked back down the stairs for just a moment. He tossed the small satchel of caps Amber has given him that week onto the counter in front of Clair before retreating back to the room to stand watch.

Amber was still unconscious, her back to MacCready as he entered. He sat on the floor next to the bed, leaning his back against the frame. He closed his eyes for a second, thinking about the story she told him on the way here their first day together. Watching her husband get shot, her baby stolen and incapable of doing anything to stop it. Mac couldn't help thinking about Lucy and the ghouls. Unable to stop it.

Amber was muttering in her sleep again. She rolled over, her face scrunched tightly, similar to the night on Piper's couch.

"Damnit, Nate. I saw you with her. Stop lying to me!" She called out, swinging her arm back around her. He touched her arm and shook her slightly.

"Boss, you all right?" He said barely above a whisper. She grabbed his hand suddenly, lacing her fingers with his.

"Don't! Don't, it's not safe." She seemed to be dreaming about something else now, so he left her alone.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his free hand, sleep creeping up on him quickly, the weight of the drinks he'd shared with his boss hitting him like a Deathclaw.

Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but sunlight was creeping across the faded carpet of the hotel room. He sat up and stretched, his back protesting to the awkward angle he'd slept at, still seated on the floor against the bed.

Amber rolled over, flinging her arm that held her Pip-Boy against his shoulder with a thud. The force had apparently pressed a button, because a man's voice was playing from the small speaker.

"Oops! Ha ha ha. No, no. Little fingers away. There we go. Just say it. Right there! Right there! Go ahead. Ha ha. Yay! Hi, honey!" Amber slapped the Pip-boy harder than was probably needed, her nostrils flared slightly. Mac eyed her cautiously. His hand was still holding hers. He pulled away quickly.

"Morning, boss." He spoke stiffly, tentatively. Amber pushed a button on her Pip-boy and it opened from the top, pushing a small orange tape from inside. She closed the small door and grabbed MacCready's hand.

"Take this. Do whatever you want with it. Just don't give it back to me." Her voice was thick and gravelly. Her accent still twinged the edges of her words.

"You got it, boss." He stated, slipping the small plastic square into the inside pocket of his jacket.

Amber took MacCready's hat from her head, shaking her long, dark brown hair loose. She ran her fingers through it and groaned.

"C'mon kid. I need a wash and a bodyguard." She pulled his hat down over the loose curls and headed for the door.

"Hey, boss, am I getting my hat back?" He called after her. She looked back with a quick smirk before laughing.

"Nope!" The door slammed behind her. 


	4. Chapter 4

MacCready hated getting wet. Baths, swimming, even the rain. He hated being wet. But the boss seemed to live for it.

He was standing up on a hill, about 20 feet away from Amber as she stripped down to take a bath in the irradiated water.

MacCready made a point to watch her without actually watching her. He wasn't going to deny the fact that she was an attractive girl but she was his boss and he chose to respect that. He just wished she'd wrap up her bath so they could get moving.

"Mac, how's it looking?" Amber called to him

"All clear from here, boss." He replied. He glanced down at her and wished he hadn't. She was waist deep in the water, her bare breasts exposed to the air. Her small pink nipples puckered against the breeze. He looked quickly at the sky, his shoes, the dead tree beside him, anywhere but her.

"I saw that, kid!" She snorted, and MacCready felt his ears heat up. Before he could respond, a familiar groan hit his ears. Ghouls.

Mac has his scope to his eye faster than hell, scanning the waterline. He spotted the glowing one with ease and took a shot at its head. Amber scrambled backwards, barely realizing she was naked in front of her employee. The glowing one was gaining on her fast. She'd almost made it to her belongings when it grabbed her hair, pulling her to the ground.

"No!" MacCready shouted, flashbacks of Lucy blinding his vision, causing him to miss the ghouls head, winging it in the shoulder. Luckily this loosened its grip on Amber's hair. She dodged its other arm stiffly, rolling to the side and grabbing her shotgun. MacCready was running down the hill, shooting as he went. He just reached Amber's side as the ghoul closed the distance between them.

BOOM! The ghouls head exploded, raining bright green muck over Amber's naked skin and smoking shotgun. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and let the shotgun hit the ground at her feet.

"You all right, boss?" MacCready asked, removing his duster and wrapping it around her cold, wet skin. He put his hand on her chin, examining her face and wiping the green goo from her cheek.

"It tore out some hair." She stated flatly, running her fingers through her now uneven locks. The left side still running down her shoulders, while the right curled around her ear. She sighed and pulled a switchblade from MacCready's duster pocket, slicing through the longer half of her hair, leaving it slightly lopsided.

"It'll do till we get back to diamond city. Irma said Nick Valentine is our best bet. Might as well go meet the guy." MacCready sighed and lowered his head.

"I'm real sorry, boss." He said, barely above a whisper.

"For what? You didn't put the glowing one in the water. You didn't mess up my hair. Don't blame yourself, kid. You're worth every cap." She pressed her forehead to his and patted his shoulder. "Now turn around so I can get dressed. Unless you wanna see your boss's naked ass. Which frankly, who could blame ya?" She winked and bumped him with her hip, chuckling. MacCready scoffed and shook his head, but turned as he was told. It was probably best. Amber didn't need to see the tears in his eyes, or the shaky breath that escaped his lips.

"Hey, let's rest a sec. I wanted to see how things were between us." Amber said as they entered the gates of the great green jewel. MacCready had been almost silent the whole walk over. No surly comments about her scavvy habits. No dorky jokes. Nothing.

"I think we're doing fine. Good to be out of Goodneighbor. But the best place to set up shop, but the gunners usually don't hassle me too much. Afraid of Hancock. I just wish I didn't have to worry so much. I've been scrounging for caps. Hoping to pay them to go away."

"Is that what's eating at you? Don't pay them off. Chances are they'd take the caps and then cap you one for good measure. I say kill them and be done with it." Amber said with a wave of her arms. MacCready couldn't believe this scavvy young sniper with the mind of a professional merc could have ever been a pre war lawyer. He shook his head with a dry chuckle.

"You read my mind, boss. But chances are two to one they'll roll in with everything they've got. I can't fight them all off." He said as they walked up to Arturo's weapon stand. Amber nodded thoughtfully.

"No, probably not. But THAT can." 


	5. Chapter 5

Amber watched as MacCready sniped the last gunner from next to the elevator, as she snuck around the platform. Mac joined her a moment later.

"Are you sure about this, Boss?" He half whispered, and Amber could feel his breath on her ear. She shook off the feeling crawling down her spine and nodded quickly. She loaded a mini nuke into the barrel of her Big Boy and clenched her jaw. MacCready nodded at her and punched the elevator button.

Mac looked at his boss, her candy apple eyes, usually smiling were now hard and cold. Her usually round face seemed sharp and angry. He looked up, the concrete of the interchange slowing crawling toward them. He readied the assault rifle Boss had given him and ducked around her like they planned, while she readied the nuke.

"Gunners, meet my Nuker." Amber cried, her southern accent thick. MacCready stifled a chuckle and ducked, the nuke exploding on the pavement a little closer to his boss's face than he would have liked. Winlock flew across the turnpike, dead as a doornail, but Barnes was far enough away. Amber threw the nuke launcher aside, pulling out a mini gun and winding it up in Barnes's face.

Barnes ducked behind a concrete barrier, taking pot shots above his head without really aiming. So distracted by Amber's mini gun, he didn't see MacCready sneaking up behind him, picking off three of his goons along the way. He stepped directly behind Barnes, pressing Amber's shotgun to the back of his neck. Amber turned her attention to what looked like the final gunner leaping into a suit of power armour.

"You should have walked away, Barnes." MacCready said softly.

"You're dead, kid. You and your crazy girlfriend over there." Barnes growled. MacCready pulled the trigger quickly, watching his large body sink to the floor.

When they were sure everyone on the turnpike had finally fallen, Amber and MacCready headed for the elevator.

Without thinking, MacCready pulled Amber into his arms for a hug, the adrenaline and excitement suddenly overtaking him. He laughed and spun her around once before pulling away. He looked at her face and stifled a gasp.

The side of her face was bleeding profusely, a large gash travelling from her chin up the side of her face to her eyebrow. She touched it gingerly, then looked at her fingers. There was a second large cut just below her lip, bleeding down her chin.

"I hate to ask, but could you spare a Stimpack?" was all she said before she fell forward.

"There's some radiation burns along the edges. I'm guessing shrapnel from the mini nuke." Doctor Sun stated flatly. "It'll heal fine, but it's definitely going to scar." Amber opened her eyes slowly, the dim light of morning just breaking over Diamond City.

MacCready was looking down at her, his blue eyes huge and wet. A small smile broke onto his lips and he let out a sigh.

"How ya feeling, boss?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

"We took out an entire gunner waystation. Feeling pretty good." She ran a hand over the side of her face, feeling the tender stitches under her fingers. "Oh I'll bet I look like hammered shit." MacCready laughed lightly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You look perfect." His smirk made her whole body warm.


	6. Chapter 6

Bored. Bored bored bored! Amber was so sick of Diamond City she was ready to start throwing mini nukes like a suicider on their period.

MacCready had teamed up with Piper and Nick to keep her in town until her wounds healed. She spent her days wandering around town, bugging anyone that would listen while Nick worked through how to track down Kellogg.

It had been two weeks when Preston showed up at the gates with three Minutemen whose names Amber hadn't bothered to remember.

"General! We got word you were injured. Thought it would be a good idea to come check on you." Preston hugged her awkwardly.

"Had a little too much fun with a nuke launcher in a gunner camp." She chuckled. Amber could see MacCready lurking in the shadows, squinting at her.

"Well, you don't seem too worse for the wear." Amber could see Preston making a point not to look at the stitch scars on her cheek and chin or the mending burn on her neck.

"I'll survive." Amber adjusted her hat, well MacCready's hat, lower over her eyes.

"Well when you're feeling better, we could definitely use your help back home." Home? That definitely was not her home. She grimaced, but but down on the sharp words on her tongue.

"No problem, Preston. I'll be back at Sanctuary soon, I promise." She gave him the sincerest smile she could muster.

MacCready slunk from the shadows then, placing his arm on her shoulder.

"C'mon, boss. We need to get you to Doctor Sun." Preston looked MacCready up and down but didn't say anything.

"Take care, General." He said with a sigh. Mac led her away, in the direction of the medical center. Amber gave Preston a small wave as he headed back up the stairs.

"That guy gets under my skin." MacCready muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Whatcha got against Preston?" She asked sincerely. Preston was probably a better person than she was at this point.

"I can't deal with the goody two shoes, save the world bit." He rolled his eyes. Amber stifled a chuckle and shook her head.

"He's a nice guy. Leave him be." She rubbed his forearm absentmindedly, enjoying the closeness and familiarity they had come to share. MacCready blushed slightly and looked at the ground, so she pulled away. Maybe she saw more between them than he did. She was suddenly embarrassed.

After a thorough and sharp round of MedX and stimpacks with Doctor Sun, they headed off toward the Dugout Inn.


	7. Chapter 7

MacCready was sitting in the chair in the corner of the rented room at the Dugout Inn. With how long they'd been renting this room they could've bought that empty house in the market.

Amber was passed out cold in the bed. She drank at least twice as much as he had, and had to be carried into the room after trying to give tap dancing lessons to DJ Travis. MacCready owed the brothers 50 caps for the broken table.

The only thing Mac liked about her drinking was how honest she'd become after a few drinks. He liked getting to learn about her life before the war, and it was the only time she'd talk about it. How she'd met her husband in her last year of college. How their relationship got heavy quick, pregnant before their first year together. She never said what he did, but he could tell things weren't great between them when she ended up in that vault.

She stirred slightly in her sleep, muttering to herself as she often did. Her legs flailed around the dirty mattress.

'No, damnit, Nate. I saw you! Stop lying to me!" She called out into the darkness. Mac walked to the edge of the bed and took a seat. He took her hand in his and she laced her fingers around his. Her skin was still paler than anyone he'd ever met, but was starting to grow trigger calluses to match his own.

"Get away from him!" She shouted now, and Mac could see tears sliding down her face. Her hair was sticking to the beads of sweat on her forehead, and he couldn't help but brush the stray strands away from her face.

Amber shot up then, her eyes wide and bloodshot. She gasped for breaths she couldn't seem to catch, her gaze darting around the room.

"Hey, it's okay." MacCready said quietly, his hand still laced with hers. "Are you all right?"

"Shaun... Shaun... Nate... Oh God, RJ!" She threw her arms around him, and he returned the embrace gently. She'd never called him that, but he didn't question it. Her breath was hot and ragged against his neck, her small frame almost vibrating against him.

"You're okay. You're safe. I'm here. We're okay" MacCready whispered into her ear. He tried to pull back to face her, but her grip around him tightened. He chuckled lightly at the thought of being held down by such a small person, but he relented. She continued to speak, but it all kind of slurred together. He only caught bits and pieces, mostly his name, Nate and Shaun. He rubbed her back slowly, and waited while her breath slowed until she was asleep in his lap.

MacCready pulled her close against him and backed up into the bed properly. He didn't try to pull away this time, letting her sleep in his arms.

When he awoke the next morning, she was no longer in the bed, but sitting in the chair in the corner, the radio on her Pip-boy playing softly on her wrist. Her Silver Shroud costume hung over the back of the chair. She sat in a t-shirt and shorts, her bare feet tucked underneath her, just wearing his hat. She flipped idly through a Grognak comic she'd found a while back. Seeing her this way, he caught a glimpse of who she might have been before the war. Just a mom, a lawyer, a housewife. Not a stealthy killer, but a woman.

She was singing along softly to the radio, her voice low and slightly gravelly, but beautiful. Soulful.

She stood and stretched, her shirt lifting slightly up her back to reveal three long claw marks across her lower back. Deathclaw? Amber had told her the story of when she met Preston in Concord, but he didn't know she'd gotten hurt.

"Morning, kid." Amber said softly, her large eyes guarded, like she was a kid that got caught doing something bad and she was waiting to be disciplined.

"Morning, boss. You ready to get out of here?" He said, trying his best to be nonchalant. Amber sighed softly and nodded, but bit her lip like she was deciding something. Mac chose not to notice.

"Listen, MacCready. About last night..." Her eyes were on the floor between them. He'd never seen her nervous before. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, sitting her on the bed next to him.

"I know you've been through a lot. More than you let people know. You don't have to tell me, but I'm here for you." He held her face cupped in his hands. It took everything in Amber's body not to kiss his pursed, worried mouth. She sighed and closed her eyes before pulling away from him.

"You're not getting extra caps to play therapist, kid." Amber said with a dry chuckle.

"We both know this hasn't been about caps since the overpass." He wasn't looking at her, but she could hear the sincerity in his words.


	8. Chapter 8

As much as they both tried to pretend her panic attack the night before didn't happen, it was like there was a film over the both of them. A protective bubble between them, keeping things a safe distance apart.

Amber only vaguely remembers what happened. She'd been dreaming about the day Shaun was taken, feeling so trapped and helpless. MacCready brushing the hair away from her face woke her up, and suddenly he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

They were making the trek to sanctuary in silence, the only sound was the low voices coming from her Pip-boy radio. She sung along softly with Elton Britt's Uranium Fever. MacCready eyed her with a smirk and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Uranium fever has gone and got me down!" Amber all but shouted, dancing in the most ridiculous way she could manage. MacCready laughed loudly and stopped walking, shaking his head.

"Real classy, boss." He said through his laughter. Amber stopped and switched off the radio. "You have a really nice voice, by the way." Amber smiled and shrugged. "You could make some serious caps with a voice like that." Amber rolled her eyes.

"Hey, let's stop a second." She walked over to an old bus stop and sat on the ground, patting the concrete beside her.

"What's up?" He asked lightly, sitting down facing her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I just wanted to check in. See how we're doing."

"I think we're starting to see eye to eye on a lot of things." He said simply, though he didn't meet her eyes.

"Look. I think we need to clear the air. You've been really honest with me, and I think I need to do the same. You know about Shaun, and that he was taken. You know they killed N-Nate." She still choked a bit on his name. MacCready eyed her carefully, like he was waiting for her to break, but she just sighed.

"Nate and I met during my last year of college. We shared friends and met at random. We didn't really hang out. He was a jock and I've always been kind of bookish and nerdy." MacCready gave her a look that clearly said 'Oh really, I never would have guessed,' but she chose to ignore it. "One night we were at a mutual friend's house for a party. There was a loooOOT of alcohol and I honestly don't remember most of the night. I do remember waking up next to Nate the next morning, and then missing my next period. That drunken night got me pregnant.

"Nate was a total gentleman and we were married before my second trimester started. He was good to me. Being in the military meant he was gone almost the entire pregnancy. By the time Shaun was born, we'd only spent a grand total of maybe two weeks in the same house. But we were both committed, and Shaun was the most perfect baby in the world." Amber brushed away the tears she hadn't noticed falling with the hand she hadn't noticed was laced with MacCready's.

"We just never clicked as a couple. We got along, sure, but romantically...it was never there. Nate was home two months before he started sleeping with the neighbor. Her name was Heather. She was a tall, lanky woman with honey blonde hair. She played tennis and volleyball and went hiking every weekend. She was probably my polar opposite. He hid it pretty well, but I found out the week before the bombs fell.

"Up until recently, actually the day we took out Winlock and Barnes, I couldn't seem to forget that. But riding that lift up with you, knowing we might not come back, I realised that I didn't even want him. Shaun was the only good thing from that relationship, and that's all I want back from it. Nate and Heather are both dead, and that's in the past." She huffed out a long sigh and reached into her pocket, pulling the large wedding band that once belonged to the father of her child. "I don't think I can bring myself to get rid of this, despite everything, but can you put this with that holotape and keep it away from me?" MacCready took the ring from her slightly shaky hand, letting their fingers brush a little longer than necessary.

"No problem, boss." He whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

Amber pushed her bed against the wall, allowing space for MacCready to pull his bed into the room.

"I can stay in another room, boss. You don't need to rearrange your life for me." MacCready said with a light chuckle. Amber stuck her tongue out for a second.

"Well what the heck am I paying you for, kid? Your my body guard. Guard my body, baby." She winked and laughed. MacCready pretended like he wasn't blushing, which just made her laugh more.

"Whatever you say, boss." He dropped into his bed and pulled the Silver Shroud costume hat over his face. Amber still hadn't relinquished his hat, so he took hers. No one seemed to mind.

Something hit him in the hip, and he glanced down to see Amber rummaging through a small footlocker she had pulled up onto his bed. She had her legs wrapped around the box like a small child digging for her favourite toy.

"Ah! Here they are." She pulled a stack of comic books from the box, dropping them onto his chest.

"Sweet! Where the fu- where the heck did you get all these?" Mac asked incredulously, flipping through the massive amount of Grognak issues he'd never even heard of.

"I told you, I was a huge nerd." She grinned at him, despite his scoff.

"Yeah...was." He muttered. Amber rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. She started gathering the books back up.

"Fine, you don't get to read them now. You make fun of the nerd, you don't get to revel in the nerd spoils." She started to gather then together, but Mac grabbed them from her hands and stood up, holding the comics above his head.

"It's not often I have the height advantage. This is kind of nice." He said as she jumped trying to reach his hands. She laughed and sighed, jumping from his bed to her own.

"Fine, but you better not mess them up. They're ancient at this point." She plopped the footlocker onto her own bed, continuing to go through its contents.

She switched the radio on as they sat in a comfortable quiet, Amber going through her box, MacCready thumbing through the comics. The sun was sliding siren under the horizon, the heat finally dissipating into the darkness. It had been about half and hour before Amber made a strange, throaty noise, causing MacCready to jump. He looked over at her, and she had her right hand to her mouth, a piece of paper in her left hand.

"You all right, boss?" MacCready stepped over and took a seat next to her. In her hand was a photograph, Amber was grinning at the camera, her face red and sweaty, her wavy brown hair long, running down her chest. She clutched a small blue bundle to her chest, a scrunched red face peeking out. A large red haired with a broad smile and even broader shoulders had his arm around her shoulder. Her family.

MacCready pulled her to his side, letting her cry into his shoulder. No one said anything, she sat holding one of his hands while he rubbed get back with the other.

After what felt like an eternity, she seemed to run out of tears. Amber sat up, her hand still holding his, and let out a shuddering breath.

"I might have to start paying you extra for all these...episodes. Here's hoping I'll eventually be able to stop crying." She sniffled and looked into his eyes, which were big and surprisingly blue and followed her.

"I know you're going through a lot. I've been there." He squeezed her hand gently.

"You spent two hundred years as a popsicle, too?" She arched an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.

"No, I lost a spouse and my son isn't with me." He dropped his eyes to his lap while he told her the story of Lucy's death and Duncan's illness.

"Oh my goodness, Mac! What the fu-udge are we doing here?! To Med-Tek! She jumped off of the bed, caught her foot on MacCready's duster and face planted onto the floor.

"Oh my gosh, you damn nerd. It's two in the morning. Get into bed." MacCready laughed. He picked her up off the floor in one quick movement and sat her onto the bed. She rubbed her forehead with her hand and growled. Mac took her hand and inspected her head. When he didn't spot blood, he pressed his lips to her head softly.

"There, all better." He said in a low voice. She looked into his eyes and felt then like she could drown in their deep blue and not even care. She leaned toward him slowly, like if she moved too quickly she'd spook him, like a baby deer. He didn't pull away, so she leaned closer, feeling his breath on her face.

A shrill scream tore through the night, followed by an explosion and a deep rumbling voice calling into the darkness.

"Human time is done! This is the age of the Super Mutant!"

"Fuck!"


	10. Chapter 10

Amber jumped from where she sat, almost losing her footing again. MacCready steadied her with one hand before bolting from the room. Amber threw her armor on and grabbed her .50 from the corner of the room.

The street was hectic, settlers running every direction. Amber spotted Preston and Sturges trying to corral all the settlers into one building. MacCready was running to the highest guard post they'd built.

A crowd of Super Mutants were scrambling up the river bank, throwing frag grenades as they went.

Amber put her scope to her face, lining up the head of the closest mutant. She took her shot and watched as his large green head popped, his lifeless body slumping to the ground. Amber heard MacCready's gun blast from above her head, another mutant falling to the earth.

Preston ran to her side, lining up his last musket with the oncoming horde. Amber nodded to him but didn't speak, lining up another shot on an oncoming mutant.

Loud, mechanical footsteps stomped suddenly up the hill, three large suits of power armour barreling toward her. Laser rifle shots flashed across the landscape, casting demonic shadows through the dead trees. Preston grabbed Amber by the arm and pulled her backward from the fray.

The familiar, terrifying beep of an armed mini nuke hit her ears, despite the deafening din.

"Suicider!" One of the power armored fighters shouted. Preston pulled her back even harder, knocking her off her feet this time.

One of the power armored fighters stomped to her side, pulling her to their chest like a rag doll before turning to fire on the suicider. Amber shielded her face against the cold metal chest of her savior, the heat of the explosion a shocking contrast. They had turned her away, blocking her from the explosion with their body.

Her ears were still ringing when her feet touched the ground, some fifty feet from the fight. She ran a hand through her hair, her skin clammy and cold.

"Well, well. Knight in shining power armor." She quipped, trying to hide the fact that her hands were still shaking. Her savior removed his helmet slowly.

"Paladin, actually. Paladin Danse." He extended his free hand to shake hers. She placed her hand in his, subsequently engulfed by his large metal one.

"Paladin? Really?" She looked up at him incredulously.

"Brotherhood of Steel, ma'am. Are your troops okay?" He waved a hand around the cul-de-sac, which seemed to be fairly intact despite the assault. Sturges ran up to her then, his large hands full of strips of cloth.

"No casualties, general. Just a few scrapes and bruises." He grinned at her and she nodded.

"I guess we're good. You really saved our butts here. Thank you, Paladin." She smiled at him and he nodded. "What were you doing out here, anyway?"

"Paladin! Sir! We're getting a distress signal from Cambridge." One of the other Brotherhood cut off Danse's reply.

"I'll come with you." Amber stated, pulling her rifle into her hands. Danse eyed her for a moment.

"I suppose that's fine. Get everyone rounded up, we'll go up at once." Danse nodded to her before stomping down the hill.

MacCready ran to her side then, taking her face in his hands. He inspected her for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief. Amber laughed and shook her head.

"I don't get blown up that often. Geez, Mac. Do you have any rounds on you? I'm going with the Brotherhood guys to lend a hand." She straightened her hat, pulling it lower over her eyes.

"You're gonna help THEM?" He sputtered, his eyes wide.

"Paladin Danse saved my ass just then. Least I can do." She could tell he was gonna fight her on this, so she stalked off down the hill.

"Wait! Amber!" She stopped when he used her name. She can't recall him ever using her name. His eyes were large and bright blue despite the low light.

"Just...just be careful." His eyes dropped to the ground and she couldn't help but smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his.

"Behave til I get back, kid." She planted a swift kiss on his nose before running down the hill to the vertibird.


	11. Chapter 11

Shooting ghouls in the face was becoming second nature. Even though he wasn't here, she could hear MacCready imitating them in a mocking tone and she smiled.

She followed Danse into the police station, Haylen dragging Rhys in behind them. Danse told her to get stocked up before they headed to ArcJet.

MacCready had told her once about the Brotherhood of Steel, horror stories mostly, but these three didn't seem that bad. Well, Rhys definitely had a stick up his as- his butt, but otherwise they seemed like decent people.

Danse seemed to like the sound of his own voice, but he seemed like an all right guy. She'd seen enough of the feral ghouls and super mutants to understand the hate, but she wasn't sure she could get on board with the sweeping synth hate. Sure, they weren't exactly human, but they were still people. Her only basis for comparison was Nick of course, but he was one of the coolest people she'd met since rejoining the commonwealth. They couldn't ALL be horrible, right? Not all ghouls are feral. It had to be the same.

She only half listened during their short trek to ArcJet, stopping briefly to take out a few raiders robbing a caravan and a pack of wild dogs.

They reached ArcJet quickly enough, Danse still spouting his Brotherhood propaganda. She followed him down into the lower levels of the building. She hacked the terminals with relative ease, taking them deeper into the abandoned factory.

A mechanical voice echoed down the hallway, followed by bright blue laser fire. Amber ducked down, waiting for an opportunity to fire, but Danse just clamored down the hall like a tin can meatloaf, returning with his own laser shots, while she popped heads from behind cover.

Amber ran to the terminal in the back of the furnace room while Danse watched her back. She pressed the button and jumped when the door slammed shut, trapping her in the terminal room. She screamed when the fire consumed the room where Danse stood.

She couldn't help flashing back to the vault, watching Shaun snatched from his father's hands. Watched Nate get shot and all she could do was watch. Watch and scream.

Dozens of synth burned around Danse's crouched form. When the door finally opened, she ran to Danse's side, his armour caked with black ash. He was still breathing, which caused her to fall to her knees, holding herself up on Danse's knee, despite the heat from his armour burning her hand.

"Hey there, soldier. Everything's okay. My power armour blocked the brunt of the blast. I'm fine." Danse pulled her to her feet, wiping her cheek with his large hand. Amber hadn't noticed she'd been crying.

"S-sorry...sir." She sniffled and chuckled. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately." Amber straightened MacCready's hat over her hair and smiled at Danse. He eyed her for a moment before nodding once and continuing their search.

It didn't take long to take out the remaining synths and head back to the surface. Amber took a deep breath when they got back outside, surprisingly glad to be back under the wasteland sky.

"Well that could have gone better." Danse said. Amber nodded once, suddenly embarrassed at her outburst.

"I'm really sorry, sir. Are you sure you're not hurt?" She looked up into his face, and he gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine, soldier. You did a fine job back there. I think you'd make a wonderful addition to the Brotherhood and I'd like to sponsor you, personally. I'd be honoured to help you bring the fight to the institute and help you find your son." Amber grinned was suddenly overwhelmed. She threw her arms around Danse's large neck, which was a feat at her height. Danse grunted, but put his arm around her waist.

"Thank you, Danse." Amber said in a small voice, embarrassed again. Danse set her down onto the ground slowly, giving her a small smile. His cheeks were just slightly pink, and she stifled a laugh.

"Well...let's get back to the police station."


End file.
